Tandem axle



c. G. CLEMENT 1,913,698

' TANDEM AXLE Filed April 23, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet -1 C. G. CLEMENT June13, 1933.

TAND EM AXLE 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 23 1950 .Zzyrz 02 (r/es @fmefafQM: I 55 ffzez s.

Patented June 13, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES G. CLEMENT,OF DGEBTON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO HIGH-WAY TRAILER COMPANY, F EDGERTON,WISCONSIN, A GOBPORATION OF WISCONSIN TANDEM .AXLIEI Application'ledApril 23, 1930. Serial No. 446,756.

This invention relates to vehicles, and

more particularly to vehicles of the trailer type, and has for an objectto provide an improved trailer structure especially suited for heavyduty service, constructed withftwo sets of road engaging wheels arrangedin tandem and mounted for rocking about aY transverse axis toaccommodate themselves to road-bed irregularities, and to distribute theload over a relatively large area,' thus reducing to a` minimumtheeffective load per unit of engaged road surface. AnotherI .object isto provide in a vehicle of the character mentioned.y an improved springmounting for two sets of wheels arranged' in tandem relation. A furtherobject is to provide an improved radius rod arrangement connected to therespective sets of wheels Vwhich are arranged in tandem. It consists ofcertain elements and' features of construction in combination, as hereinshown and described and as indicated by the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of 'the rear end of a trailervehicle, showing the supporting vWheel structure embodying the presentinvention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view takenY .substantially as indicatedat line, 2-2, on

Fi re 1. v igure 3 is a plan view of the rear end of a trailer,embodying a modified form'of my invention. v

Figure 4 is a view substantially in elevation taken at line, 4 4, onFigure 3.

Referring nowin detail to the drawin s, 10 represents the main frame ofa traier vehicle to which is rigidly connected an under or sub-frame,11, servingv as the supporting lstructure for two sets of road-en-vgaging wheels, 12, arranged in tandem retlon, on a pair oflongitudinally spaced axles, 13. At the opposite sides of the framestructure are longitudinally extending 1eaf springs, 15, the ends ofwhich are pivotally connected at 16, to brackets, 17, rigidly secured onthe axles, adjacent the wheels, with the pivot connections disposedbelow said axles. These springs thus serve to tie the two pairs Aofroad-engaging wheels yieldingly together l and allow up-and-downmovement of the wheels with respect to each other to accommodateroad-bed irre ular- The brackets, 17, on the axles adjacent the wheelsVare formed so as to provide.

above the axles, 13, pivot'connections, `22, for radius elements, 23;and as maybe seen in Figure l these radius elements are two in numberarranged in opposite relation `and each formed of a single -member withtwo diverging radius arms, 24, at whose junction is providedV a ball,25, which is journaled in a co-operative socket formed `in a bracket,26. This bracket is fixed substantially at the middle of the frame, 10,

being shown as rigidly secured adjacent the longitudinalA center of thepivot shaft, 20. The ball and socket connection of the radius elementsthus permits universal movement to a limited extent so as to accommo-l`date theV wheels to road-bed irregularities and permit the Hexure ofthe adjacent por-- tions of vthe leaf springs as well as accommodatingdifferencesin vertical movement of the respective wheels Vrelatively toeach other. tional advantage of distributin the load over a relativelylarge area sot at the effective load per unit 'of engaged road surfaceis relatively small.

In the modified .construction shown in Figures 3 and 4 the saddlebrackets, 19,

for the leaf springs, 15, are loosely mounted on the ends of the pivotshaft, 20,' and are 19", to which are pivotally connected t e Thisconstruction insures'the addi .95 formed with two pair of up-standing 1us,

radius rods, 24, shown as individual mem- 7 bers arranged vabove and insubstantial alignment with the respective leaf springs,

and with their outer ends pivoted in the brackets, 17, as indicated at23B.

This modified construction has many of the advantages of theconstruction shown in Figures l to 2 and it will be manifest that theradius rods are arranged so as to assist in directly transmitting thestresses from the vehicle frame structure to the axles or vice versa,while fully accommodating the entire range of flexure of the leafsprings. By reason of the saddle, 19a, of the springs, being mounted onthe pivot shaft, 20, the road engaging wheels at each side are permittedto rock as a unit about the axis of the pivot shaft.

Iclaimzy 1. In a vehicle, the combination of a frame, two pairs ofroad-engaging wheels arranged in tandem relation; and fixed axles onwhich the wheels are individually journalled a pair of longitudinallyextending leaf springs disposed adjacent opposite sides of the frame andhaving their ends positively connected to one side of the fixed axlesadjacent the wheels, means engaging intermediate portions of the springsand pivotally connected to the frame, a pair of oppositely disposedradius elements each including a pair of laterally diverging arms,acting as a continuous member having their remote ends connected inspaced relation to the fixed axle at the sideu opposite said springconnection, and means mounted adjacent the longitudinal center of theframe engaging each of said radius elements adjacent the junction of itsarms for providing a universal connection whereby to permit.-n

said radius elements to freely swivel in accommodating the individualflexure of the corresponding spring portions.

2. In a vehicle, the combination of a frame, two pairs of road-engagingwheelJ arranged in tandem relation; and fixed axles on which the wheelsare individually journalled, a pair of lon tudinally extending leafsprings dispose adjacent opposite sides of the frame, the ends of saidsprings being pivotally connected to the under side of said fixed axlesadjacent the wheels, means engaging intermediate portions of 3. In aroad vehicle in combination with a rigid frame, two pairs of wheels intandem relation; a rigid non-rotatably mountcd axle-in-common for thewheels of each pair, a pair of leaf springs and mounting means for saidsprings comprising a transversely extending pivot member carried by theframe, and mounts rigidly secured to the springs respectively at amiddle their length and pivotally engaged with said pivot member, eachof said springs being connected positively at its opposite ends with theends of' the axles at the side of the vehicle at which the spring ismounted, and radius rods pivotallv connected to the mounting means andto the respective fixed axles, the radius rods having their pivotalconnection to the mounting means at an intermediate part of the lengthof the pivot member of said mounting means.

'4. In a road vehicle in combination with a rigid frame, two pairs ofwheels in tandem relation; a rigid non-rotatably mounted axle-in-commonfor the wheels of each pair, a pair of leaf springs and mounting meansfor said springs comprising a transversely extending pivot membercarried by thev frame, and mounts rigidly secured to the springsrespectively at a middle part of their length and pivotally engaged withsaid pivot member, each of said springs being connected positively atits opposite ends with the ends of the axles at the side of the vehicleat which the spring is mounted, and radius rods pivotally connected tothe mounting means and to the respective fixed axles, the radius rodshaving their pivotal connection to the mounting means by balland-socketjoints at an intermediate part of the length of the pivot member of themounting means.

CHARLES G. CLEMENT.

art ofv the springs and pivotally connected to the frame, a pair ofopgositely disposed radius elements eachp inclu ing a pair of laterallydiverging arms, acting as a continuous member having their remote endsconnected in spaced relation to the upper side of the fixed axle at theside opposite said spring connection, and means mounted adjacent thelongitudinal center of the frame engaging each of said radius elementsadjacent the.

junction of its arms for providing a universal connectlon whereby topermit sald radius elements to freely swivel in accommodating theindividual iexure of the corresponding spring portions.

